Former Long Beach man to stand trial for murder of onetime friend

LONG BEACH - A former Long Beach resident was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for the 2012 murder of his onetime friend.

Mark Thurwachter was charged with the Feb. 1, 2012, slaying of Marvin Williams earlier this year, after he was caught by police in Cleveland, Ohio, trying to snare a free ride on the city's transit system.

Cleveland Police contacted Long Beach Police immediately, and Thurwachter was extradited to Long Beach on March 28, authorities said.

The investigation into the slaying was launched after police were called to the 300 block of East Arbor Street at about 6:40 p.m. when gunshots were heard.

Officers arrived to find Williams, 60, shot in the upper body. Coroner's officials ruled the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest and removed a .45-caliber slug from the victim's body.

Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detective Scott Lasch testified Wednesday that investigators learned Thurwachter and Williams were at one-time friends, but the relationship soured over a conflict in the mobile home park where the two men lived.

When detectives searched Thurwachter's RV, they found 49 copies of a hand written complaint in which Thurwachter detailed a grievance he had with Williams, Lasch said.

Carl Young, a friend of the accused, also told police that he had seen Thurwachter with a .45-caliber gun that matched the one depicted in the manual.

"(Young) told me that (Thurwachter) said he wanted to kill (Williams) and he also said he wanted to shoot him," Lasch said.

Lasch said Young, who is a retired police officer, told investigators the comments were made during a conversation the pair had in December of 2011 and that Thurwachter made the threat about half a dozen times.

During their search of Thurwachter's trailer, police found a .22-caliber rifle and .22-caliber ammunition. They also found an instruction manual for a .45-caliber automatic Taurus handgun and a magazine loader with .45 caliber ammunition, Lasch said.

The defense focused their cross examination on the fact that no .45-caliber gun was ever found, and argued the case should be dismissed due to lack of evidence.

Long Beach Superior Court Judge Richard Romero, however, found there was sufficient evidence to proceed with a trial.

Thurwachter is scheduled to return to the court on Nov. 14 for arraignment. He is charged with first degree murder and a count of being a felon in possession of a gun, based on a prior felony conviction for spousal abuse. It is also alleged that he personally used a firearm in the slaying and he discharged a firearm, causing death.

The defendant has been in custody since he was returned to Long Beach from Ohio and his bail is set at $2 million. If convicted on all counts he could face a life prison term, authorities said.